We’re kicking off this new year by welcoming new and returning listeners to Side Hustle Pro with a reminder that it’s never too late—or too early—to pursue a side hustle. Inspired by an email from a listener, I was reminded that my focus on Black women entrepreneurs still resonates with a wide audience, proving that clarity in your target listener doesn’t exclude anyone else who might benefit.

In this episode I share the five areas of focus for starting or growing your business in 2025:

• Get clear on your main priority
• Choose a channel to showcase your expertise
• Organize your content (you likely have more than you realize!)
• Trust yourself to figure things out, even when you get stuck
• Invest in education and resources that level up you and your business

Highlights include:

00:00 Intro

03:00 Uplifting women entrepreneurs

05:00 Setting goals for the year

10:30 Five areas of focus for 2025

18:00 The power of sharing your journey

23:00 Overcoming content overwhelm

29:00 Trusting yourself and investing in growth

35:00 Master The Gram Challenge

Check out episode 444 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

This episode is brought to you by:

Master The Gram Challenge: In this 5-Day Master The Gram Challenge, I'll teach you the exact steps I used to grow my Instagram to over 95K followers, launch a hit podcast, launch digital programs, quit my job to work for myself, and make multiple SIX-figures as a successful entrepreneur. Sign up here: https://sidehustlepro.co/masterthegram

Links mentioned in this episode

• Master The Gram Challenge: https://sidehustlepro.co/masterthegram
• Nicaila’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustlepro/
• Nicaila’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidehustlepro
• Nicaila’s Website: https://sidehustlepro.co/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

#SideHustlePro

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Are you tired of feeling stuck when it comes to Instagram? Not sure how to use it to promote your business effectively? If creating content feels overwhelming or you’re spinning your wheels trying to figure out what works, this is for you. The Master the Gram Challenge is designed to help you take control of Instagram and finally make it work for you. Join here: https://sidehustlepro.co/masterthegram

In Just 5 Days, You’ll Learn How To:

1. Attract the right people to build a community (not just followers)
2. Create content that makes people want to buy from you
3. Save time with simple automation and scheduling tools
4. Know when (and how) to hire so you can get off the content hamster wheel

We'll Cover:

• Day 1: Followers
• Day 2: Content That Converts
• Day 3: Automation & Planning
• Day 4: Sales
• Day 5: Outsourcing & Scaling

PLUS! A BONUS live Q&A Call

Join me on Friday, Jan 17 at 1:00 PM ET for a live session to get your questions answered

You'll Get:

✔️ Daily bite-sized videos delivered straight to your inbox

✔️ My step-by-step strategies to take the guesswork out of Instagram

✔️ The exact tools and templates I use to simplify and save time

✔️ Access to a live Q&A with me on Day 5

Instagram has been the marketing engine behind my email list, podcast, and digital courses for 10 years. It’s a powerful tool that can transform your business when used the right way. This is your chance to master Instagram, connect with your ideal audience, and start making real money in 2025.

Ready to conquer Instagram? Claim your spot in the challenge here https://sidehustlepro.co/masterthegram

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This week in the guest chair we have Whitney Gates, an experienced marketing leader turned entrepreneur as co-founder and CEO of Wondry Wine. Her diversified skill set is driven by over 13 years of experience in brand management, shopper marketing and sales across Fortune 200 companies.

Rejecting exclusivity, Wondry presents customers with a more approachable, stronger, semi-sweet wine. Drawing inspiration from her disabled uncle’s wine-making journey, Whitney’s hustled her way into becoming a multi-million dollar company in just a few years.

In this episode she shares:

• How she went from making wine herself and doing door to door selling to launching Wondry online and expanding onto Target shelves
• What it takes to stand out in a crowded market (and even get a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank)
• The importance of understanding your customer and adjusting your pitch accordingly

Highlights include:

0:00 – Introduction to Whitney Gates

8:17 – Launching Wondry

11:20 – Defining Wondry’s category: wine vs. cocktail hybrid

15:00 – Investing in the business

18:40 – Door-to-door sales and proof of concept

31:00 – Whitney’s Shark Tank experience and partnering with Mark Cuban

34:00 – Becoming profitable and managing costs as you scale

41:00 – Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 443 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Wondry Wine Website: https://www.drinkwondry.com
• Follow Wondry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondrywine
• Side Hustle Pro Website: https://www.sidehustlepro.co

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

• Follow Wondry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondrywine

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the guest chair we have Melyssa Ford, media personality, actress, and advocate known for her dynamic presence in entertainment. With a career spanning television, film, and radio, she has captivated audiences as a host on the Joe Budden podcast and various TV appearances.

As a seasoned veteran in media and entertainment, Melyssa mastered the art of pivoting and identifying viable opportunities to launch into new and exciting spaces.

In this episode she shares:

• Her new podcast Hot and Bothered that fosters meaningful conversations about women’s wellness, intimacy, and health
• Overcoming depression, negative self-talk, and finding grace through personal healing
• The many benefits to pivoting several times in her career

Highlights include:

00:00 Intro

02:00 Building a film/TV personality

06:00 Being an undocumented immigrant

14:00 Creating her own path

19:00 Battling mental health issues

27:00 Navigating perimenopause

40:00 The podcasting landscape

47:00 Living with a brain injury

1:00:00 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 442 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Melyssa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melyssaford/
• Melyssa’s Twitter: https://x.com/MissMelyssaFord/
• Hot and Bothered Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotnbotheredpodcast/
• Melyssa’s Website: https://www.melyssaford.com/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

• Melyssa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melyssaford/
• Melyssa’s Twitter: https://x.com/MissMelyssaFord/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the guest chair we have Alexis Barber, a lifestyle influencer and founder of Too Collective, a modern wellness and loungewear brand. At just 25 years old, Alexis is the host of the top-rated Too Smart For This Podcast and has worked with brands like Lululemon, Rare Beauty, Microsoft, and Miss Dior as a content creator.

In this episode she shares:

• How growing up low-income provided the foundation for having confidence and an ambitious mindset to overcome the limitations of her past
• Her transformative experience as an MBA candidate at The Wharton School at UPenn
• How she makes a living off of content creation and the opportunities being an influencer has provided

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

03:00 Confidence and putting yourself out there

09:55 Becoming a lifestyle influencer

12:04 Navigating side hustling and a corporate role

19:27 Collaboration with Rare Beauty

20:48 Launching a robe company

29:09 MBA program at Wharton

39:20 Transparency in content creation

44:07 The importance of building a team

Check out episode 441 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Too Collective Website: https://toocollective.com/
• Too Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/
• Alexis’ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_
• Alexis’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/
• Alexis’ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber
• MLT Program: https://mlt.org/
• Harvard Summer Program: https://www.hbs.edu/svmp/Pages/default.aspx
• Pietra: https://www.pietrastudio.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

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Helena Faustin is a Registered Nurse and content creator from New York City who has garnered an audience of millions by sharing her love and passion for cooking. As a mother of three, Helena inspires people with her massively popular food blog, That Nurse Can Cook, to get comfortable in the kitchen and cook delicious meals for their families.

In this episode she shares:

• The ways she stayed consistent in content creation, and why it paid off
• How she differentiated her physical cookbook, The Soul of Scotchie, from others on the market
• How she diversified her revenue streams to triple her income and surpass her nursing paycheck

Highlights include:

00:00 Intro

05:22 Finding a path in nursing

10:51 The goal of work-life balance

11:52 Cooking as an outlet

15:25 Intentional content creation

19:24 Unlearning the idea of creating perfect content

27:21 Diversifying revenue streams

33:38 Hiring a team for content creation

41:09 Revenue from YouTube & brand partnerships

43:42 Publishing a unique cookbook

49:59 Take control of your inner voice

52:30 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 440 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Helena’s Website: Https://www.thatnursecooks.com
• Helena’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatnursecancook/
• Helena’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatnursecancook
• Helena’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThatNurseCanCook
• Grace Foods: https://www.instagram.com/gracefoods/
• Capcut: https://www.capcut.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

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This week we have a special student spotlight featuring Hiwote Getaneh, an audio producer curious about human-centered, emotion-driven storytelling. We first met when she joined my Podcast Moguls accelerator program, and it’s been so awesome to follow her journey from working in social policy research, to growing her own podcast, to actually changing her career path to work in podcasting full time, to moving to Portugal to live and work full time, to now launching her Emerging Voices, a podcasting accelerator for aspiring creators who want to start a podcast that is unique to them and build their creative resilience along the way.

In this episode she shares:

• How identifying a niche audience transformed her podcast and entrepreneurial journey
• Her focus on helping first and second-generation immigrant women find confidence in their stories
• Balancing financial stability after leaving her full time job and moving abroad to Portugal

Highlights include:

00:00 Intro

03:00 From analyst to podcaster

07:45 Mastering storytelling

13:30 Lessons from Podcast Moguls

18:00 Creating content with purpose

21:00 Becoming an expat in Portugal

28:00 Preparing for full time entrepreneurship

33:00 Building a platform to monetize

43:00 Defeating self-doubt

47:00 Living in Portugal

54:00 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 439 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Hiwote’s website: https://www.depthandcandor.com/
• Hiwote’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiwote.getaneh/
• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering
• Union Docs: https://uniondocs.org/
• Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

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This week in the guest chair we are back for an update episode with Arsha Jones, founder of Capital City- the DC-based company behind the wildly popular Mambo Sauce. Stemming from Arsha's desire to create a product that she could sell multiples of, Arsha describes her journey from starting as a web designer, shifting into e-commerce, and finally venturing into entrepreneurship.

In this episode Arsha shares:

• How starting an income-driven business, Tees In The Trap, helped to fund ventures for Capital City
• How she got Mambo sauce onto shelves of major businesses like Papa Johns, Walmart, and Target
• The importance of legacy and how embedding the culture of the community she serves has opened up unique opportunities

Highlights Include:

07:07 Leaving The Service Industry

10:44 Launching Multiple Businesses At Once

17:14 Creating Multiple Revenue Streams

19:50 Being The Face Of Your Brand

29:33 Creating a Premium Product

30:48 Getting Into Retail

35:33 Creating Brand Partnerships

41:11 Selling On Amazon

45:23 Creating Your Own Path

Check out episode 390 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• First Arsha Jones SHP Episode: https://sidehustlepro.co/arshajones/
• Capital City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalcityco
• Capital City Website: https://www.capitalcity.com/
• Arsha’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arshajones/
• Arsha’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arshajones
• Tees In The Trap: https://www.teesinthetrap.com/
• Amazon Seller Central: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

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